Vignette for the introductory essay of John Ogilby’s „Africa“, with a map of Africa

An erudite translator and editor, John Ogilby (1600-1676) published books with illustrations by Wenceslaus Hollar. These were namely The Ecloges by Vergil and a new edition of Aesop’s Fables. However, it was Ogilby’s other great ambition to print a set of books that would picture the whole world; this volume on Africa was the third book from the intended collection. „Africa“ is divided into chapters dealing with a variety of interesting regions of the continent, with one devoted to Morocco and accompanied by illustrations of Tangier. The detailed map of Africa represents the sum of information and knowledge that European cartographers had about the continent in their day. Hollar demonstrably created five etchings for the book: two introductory vignettes, the initial letter „T“, a portrait of the sultan and the Engagement on the Mary Rose. It is not out of the question that he is the author of the map of Africa.